Computer-implemented method for interactively evaluating personal energy-related investments

1. A computer-implemented method for interactively evaluating personal energy-related investments, comprising steps of: estimating an overall thermal performance of a building by conducting an empirical test comprising remotely controlling a heating source inside the building; maintaining a database of equipment listings, each equipment listing comprising a type of equipment, a type of fuel, and energy-related characteristics; identifying a plurality selections of the equipment listings in the database and forming the equipment selections into groups based on type of equipment, at least one of the equipment selections being from a type of equipment in the database comprising a building envelope investment that conserves electricity within the building's envelope by changing the overall thermal performance by influencing thermal performance characteristics of the building, at least two of the equipment selections utilizing different fuel types from each other; determining an energy affect of each equipment selection as quantitatively expressed through the energy-related characteristics as a measure of one or more of personal energy-consumption, energy-conservation by changing the overall thermal performance, and energy-production, wherein the energy-affects of the at least two of the equipment selections are expressed in different units from each other; converting the energy affect of each equipment selection into electricity-equivalent units; calculating a net periodic energy cost of each equipment selection as a function of the energy affect and cost of the fuel projected over a set period; normalizing the net periodic energy cost of the equipment selection as a net periodic electricity cost; finding an investment payback for each type of equipment based on the net periodic electricity costs of the equipment selections within each group; comparing the net periodic electricity cost of one of the equipment selections and the net periodic electricity cost of another equipment selection within a same one of the groups when finding the investment payback; finding new thermal performance characteristics of the building based on the at least one equipment selection; determining a size of a further heating source needed to supply heat for the building with the new thermal performance, one of the equipment selections comprising the further heating source; determining total electricity to be consumed within the building with the new thermal performance characteristics over the set period using the size; and evaluating the net periodic energy cost as a further function of the total electricity consumed, wherein the steps are performed on a suitably-programmed computer and wherein the building envelope investment identified by the at least one equipment selection is performed based on the found investment payback for the type of equipment associated with the building envelope investment.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: classifying the equipment selections through the energy-related characteristics as affecting one of electricity cost, heating cost, transportation cost, and maintenance; and comparing the net periodic energy costs of the equipment selections within each classification when finding the investment payback.

3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: determining the net periodic energy cost of the one equipment selection within the one group retrospectively based on past use comparable to the duration of the set period.

4. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: choosing at least one of the equipment selections from a type of equipment in the database comprising electricity-related investments that consume electricity under a constant load; and evaluating the net periodic energy cost as a further function of operational parameters that affect the consumption of electricity under a constant load.

5. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: choosing at least one of the equipment selections from a type of equipment in the database comprising space conditioning investments that consume energy for space conditioning; determining worst-day situations by evaluating historical fuel consumption requirements of the at least one equipment selection; and evaluating the net periodic energy cost as a further function of the worst day situations.

6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: choosing at least one of the equipment selections from a type of equipment in the database comprising water heating investments that either consume energy or conserve energy for heating water; determining fractional fuel consumption requirements of the at least one equipment selection by evaluation of fuel purchases during non-winter months; and evaluating the net periodic energy cost as a further function of the fractional fuel consumption requirements.

7. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: choosing at least one of the equipment selections from a type of equipment in the database comprising vehicle and transportation investments that consume energy for transportation, conserve energy for transportation, or both consume and conserve energy for transportation; determining a total distance traveled for the at least one equipment selection during a past period comparable to the duration of the set period; and evaluating the net periodic energy cost as a further function of the total distance traveled.

8. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: choosing at least one of the equipment selections from a type of equipment in the database comprising on-site energy producing investments that produce electricity; obtaining weather data for the set period; and evaluating the net periodic energy cost as a function of forecast energy production based on the weather data for the set period.

9. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: maintaining a database of prices for each equipment listing in the equipment database of equipment listings; and calculating an initial cost for each equipment selection for use in finding the investment payback.

10. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of: receiving from a user a portion of the total electricity to be supplied by an on-site photovoltaic system, one of the equipment selections comprising the on-site photovoltaic system; and determining a size of an on-site photovoltaic system to be installed based on the total electricity and the received portion.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing code for executing on a computer system that, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to: estimate an overall thermal performance of a building by conducting an empirical test comprising remotely controlling a heating source inside the building; maintain a database of equipment listings, each equipment listing comprising a type of equipment, a type of fuel, and energy-related characteristics; identify a plurality selections of the equipment listings in the database and forming the equipment selections into groups based on type of equipment, at least one of the equipment selections being from a type of equipment in the database comprising a building envelope investment that conserves electricity within the building's envelope by changing the overall thermal performance by influencing thermal performance characteristics of the-building, at least two of the equipment selections utilizing different fuel types from each other; determine an energy affect of each equipment selection as quantitatively expressed through the energy-related characteristics as a measure of one or more of personal energy-consumption, energy-conservation by changing the overall thermal performance, and energy-production, wherein the energy-affects of the at least two of the equipment selections are expressed in different units from each other; converting the energy affect of each equipment selection into electricity-equivalent units; calculate a net periodic energy cost of each equipment selection as a function of the energy affect and cost of the fuel projected over a set period; normalizing the net periodic energy cost of each equipment selection as a net periodic electricity cost; find an investment payback for each type of equipment based on the net periodic electricity costs of the equipment selections within each group; and compare the net periodic electricity cost of one of the equipment selections and the net periodic electricity costs of another equipment selection within a same one of the groups when finding the investment payback; find new thermal performance characteristics of the building based on the at least one equipment selection; determine a size of a further heating source needed to supply heat for the building with the new thermal performance, one of the equipment selections comprising the further heating source; determine total electricity to be consumed within the building with the new thermal performance characteristics over the set period using the size; and evaluate the net periodic energy cost as a further function of the total electricity consumed, wherein the building envelope investment identified by the at least one equipment selection is performed based on the found investment payback for the type of equipment associated with the building envelope investment.